Ben took the early train to New York on Tuesday morning, and in due
time arrived in the city. He carried with him seventy-five dollars
out of his small patrimony. Fifty were to be deposited with Messrs.
Fitch & Ferguson, as required, and the balance was to defray his
expenses till he began to receive a salary. Ben didn't expect to
need much of it, for at the end of a week he would be paid ten
dollars for his services, and until then he meant to be very
economical.

Ben had only been in New York twice before, but he happened to know
his way to Nassau Street, and went there at once, with his carpetbag
in his hand.

Now, on the way to the city, Ben had overheard a conversation
between two gentlemen, relative to certain swindlers in New York,
which, for the first time, had aroused in him a suspicion that
possibly there might be something wrong about the firm whose
advertisement he had answered. He felt the need of an adviser, and
though his choice may be considered rather a strange one, he decided
to consult his new acquaintance, the bootblack. He briefly told him
of the advertisement, and what it offered.

"Look here," said the street boy, "do you think anybody's going to
pay a boy ten dollars a week, when there's hundreds ready to work
for three or four? Why, a man in Pearl Street advertised last week
for a boy at three dollars, and there was a whole shoal of boys went
for it. I was one of 'em."

Ben moved on, watching the numbers as he walked slowly along, till
he came to the one mentioned in the advertisement. There was a
hallway and a staircase, with a directory of persons occupying
offices on the floors above. From this Ben ascertained that Fitch &
Ferguson occupied Room 17, on the fourth floor.

"I wonder what business they are in," thought our hero as he mounted
the stairs. "They must have considerable or they wouldn't need so
many boys-that is, if they are on the square."